Foetal Mortality in Diabetics in Relation to Management During the Latter Part of Pregnancy

The foetal mortality in pregnancies of diabetics is still high, and there is some disagreement as to the best treatment. This disagreement is due, among other things, to an unsatisfactory classification of the cases as well as to the small size of most series reported so far. One of the points in dispute is the value of hormone therapy during pregnancy. White (1949, 1952) has reported a foetal mortality which is among the lowest obtained so far. She ascribes this success to the administration of stilbestrol and progesterone during pregnancy, but this explanation is not generally accepted. As stated e. g. by Brandstrup & Okkels (1938) it would be very valuable to elucidate the rôle of the compensation of diabetes and the maternal hyperglycæmia. This applies not only to the foetal mortality, but also to the size, obesity, water content, etc. of the infants and their subsequent fate, int. al.